Flowers can bloom inside melting ice.

As ice absorbs light, tiny pockets of meltwater can spread into six-petalled shapes called Tyndall flowers. A small vapour cavity forms as melting makes the water take up less space.

A snowflake's disappearing act.

Flowers can bloom inside melting ice.

A schematic six-petalled pocket of meltwater inside transparent ice. A side-section labels the liquid pocket and small central vapour cavity, with other six-fold melting figures in the background.

Tyndall flowers form as ice melts internally. The illustration enlarges and simplifies the water pocket and central vapour cavity.

Water flowers in melting ice: the original engraving reproduced in The Fairy-Land of Science.

Flowers can bloom inside melting ice.

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